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Reading &Writing Their Way to Life Long Success

8th Graders at Proficiency Level

12th Grade at Proficiency Level

Asian/Pacific Islander

36% 22%

African American/Black

9% 5%

Hispanic 11% 8% White 27% 20%

NAEP 2007 - Writing Achievement of Boys by Race

WHY?

The National Writing Project (NWP) focuses the knowledge, expertise and leadership of our nation’s educators on sustained efforts to improve writing and learning for all learners.

Literacy is one of the fundamental building blocks for academic success, as well as college- and career readiness.

We help students achieve in writing.

Comparison of student writing change

We develop strong teacher-leaders across the nation.

We build communities of teachers who share their innovations and expertise.

From BOYZ to Gentlemen Scholars Yvonne Divans-Hutchinson

Research Findings: • African American boys can and will learn,

despite perceptions to the contrary. • The literacy levels and habits of male students

vary from barely literate to well-read. • Even reluctant students demonstrate scholarly

ways when they are consistently treated as scholars.

From BOYZ to Gentlemen Scholars Yvonne Divans-Hutchinson

Research Findings, continued: • Young men respond most readily to literary

tests in which they see male role models and strong connections to their lives.

• Developing an awareness of political, social, psychological, and economic issues that affect people of color in the context of the literature provides a foundation for addressing and overcoming “societal barriers” (Tatum).

From BOYZ to Gentlemen Scholars Yvonne Divans-Hutchinson

Research Findings, continued: • Giving African American males the option to

draw upon their own culture to show what they learned, what they know, and what they are able to do is a way to motivate them. They feel more autonomous and less pressured. They like the power of being able to show off their creativity and their talent.

From BOYZ to Gentlemen Scholars Yvonne Divans-Hutchinson

Research Findings, continued: • Strategies that allow for open-ended

responses, interaction, movement, and freedom of choice proved to be the most successful in enhancing the reading, writing, thinking, and speaking skills of African American males.